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Trading my way to owning a Tesla Roadster

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TESLA2BE

Tesla Roadster Red

As EV owners, enthusiasts and soon-to-be-owners prepare to celebrate everything there is to EVs during next week’s National Drive Electric week, I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce myself and share my story – a story, four years in the making, about a quest to become an EV owner through the kindness of humanity.

SONY DSCSo, who the heck am I you ask? If you frequent the TMC forums, you’ll already know who I am. If not, let me introduce myself. My name is Martin Provost and I live in Ottawa Canada. In a nutshell, I’m trying to turn an old crappy camera into a Tesla Roadster by bartering one item at a time. This is why I’m known as tesltradeup on multiple forums and blogs.

Why do I want a Tesla Roadster? Who doesn’t! The Roadster is the car that made me fall in love with EVs. It was the first truly sexy EV that was made. The machine is my dream car, not only for its deceptive acceleration and speed, but for its technology and its low impact on our beautiful planet. A techy and greenie’s dream ride.

As impossible as my quest seems, I’ve been quite successful thus far having made 10 consecutive trades that allowed me to move towards my ultimate goal of owning a Tesla Roadster. My current item up for trade is a $2000+ Pedego Comfort Cruiser e-bike that I got from the CEO of Pedego.

Here is a list of items that I’ve traded thus far:

1 – Minolta SLR Maxxum 400si with carrying bag -TRADED to Anonymous trader!
2 – TalkSwitch 48-NLS CT-TS01 TRADED to “The Computer Doctor” (Eric Bérubé)!
3 – HP Pavillion a1034n TRADED to Maria
4 – Jasmine by Takamine S33 Guitar TRADED to Josh
5 – Squier by Fender Telecaster electric guitar TRADED to Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co.
6 – Super VIP Tour at Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. TRADED to Shopify (Mark Hayes)
7 – $3000.00 Shopify Gift Certificate TRADED to Nerdbots (Nicholas and Angela Snyder)
8 – Collaborate with Nerdbots to Design 2 Custom Robots TRADED to GoPro
9 – GoPro HD Hero2 3D Package TRADED to Ryan Holmes – HootSuite
10 – HootSuite 10 Seat Enterprise Package for 1 Year TRADED to Pedego
11 – Pedego Comfort Cruiser shipped to anywhere in the U.S. (CURRENT ITEM)

pedego-electric-bike

If you, or someone you know, might be interested in trading something for this electric bike; or simply want to

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play a part in my fun and amazing journey to becoming a Tesla Roadster owner;

then please reach out to me or comment below with your item to trade. I’d love to hear from you.

Bartering for a Roadster is not the only thing I’m crazy about; I’m also crazy about EVs in case you didn’t know. I’m actually a brand new EV owner having recently traded in my old rusty Protege 5 for a 2014 Smart Electric Drive. I opted for the lease because they had a ridiculous deal going on (100$ a month!!) and the 3 year term was perfect. Why is that perfect? Almost all Tesla fans know that answer and what’s coming out in 3 years – that’s why I got a special vanity plate for the Smart: TESLA2BE. 🙂 But hopefully I can reach my goal of trading up to the Tesla Roadster way before then.

 

TESLA2BE

Waiting for the Model 3 – a 3 year lease on a Smart ED is perfect timing. Got the perfect plate that shows my intentions. 🙂

I’ll make sure to update everyone as I progress along with my quest on TESLARATI and on my own blog at teslatradeup.com. Make sure to follow me on Twitter or Facebook to keep up to date.

You can also visit my official Swapsity page following this link: Barter With Me

Thanks for reading and for playing a part in my quest to become a Roadster owner.

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Cheers from Canada!

RELATED: Product Review: Full Size Folding Electric Bike in a Tesla Model S

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Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update

Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.

The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.

Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video

With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:

To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”

Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.

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xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

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(Credit: xAI)

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area. 

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs

Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.

In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.

“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.

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Musk Foundation donation

Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students. 

The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”

“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.

The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”

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EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

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Credit: Unplugged Performance

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.

The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry. 

A strategic fit

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.

That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.

“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”

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Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”

Enabling the next wave

Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.

“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.

The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.

Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.

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In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”

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